Card dispensing tray



April 7, 1956 o. GARAPOLO ET AL 2,741,886

CARD DISPENSING TRAY Filed July 28, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 Sheets-Sheet2 0% woolu v 1. u 3 ww April 7, 1956 o. GARAPOLO ETAL CARD DISPENSINGTRAY Filed July 28, 1951 United States Patent CARD DISPENSING TRAYOrlando Garapolo and MichaelLombardi, Chicago, 111.,

assignors to Wilson & Co., Inc., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationJuly 28, 1951, Serial No. 239,170

4 Claims. (Cl. 53--255) This invention relates to a novel carddispensing tray adapted to aid in the packaging of food products.

In the merchandising of certain food products, particularly slicedbacon, it is desirable to package them so that the contents are visibleto the prospective purchaser. One of the most effective ways of doingthis is to place the sliced bacon on a stiff backing material, such as acardboard card, and then wrap the card and bacon with cellophane orother similar transparent material. The tray of the present inventionenables one operator in a line operation to quickly place a desiredamount of sliced bacon on a singlecard with one motion; and the operatorcan repeat this operation in a minimum amount of time with a minimumamount of effort. Succeeding operators wrap the card and bacon withcellophane to complete the packaging operation.

The tray of the present invention is used in conjunction with a conveyorbelt, system. One set of conveyor belts serves to bring the sliced baconto a series of takeoff fingers. The tray is positioned below thetake-off fingers and has a plurality of cards thereon in fanned orstaggered relationship. The tray is provided with a novel take-off lipwhich enables the operator, with but a single motion, to slide anapproximate predetermined amount of bacon from the take-ofi fingers ontothe top card and then slide the bacon and top card only onto a secondset of conveyor belts which delivers the product to other operators whocomplete the packaging operation.

The tray of the present invention enables a stack of stiff backing cardsto be positioned thereon readily in the desired fanned or staggeredrelationship By so positioning the stack of cards below the take-offfingers in the line operation described, the top card and the slicedbacon thereon can be quickly swept from the stack of cards onto theconveyor system. In consequence, the packaging of sliced bacon indisplay-type containers is greatly speeded up.

Other advantages of our invention will be brought out in the followingspecification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingsshowing a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the card dispensing tray of thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the cards which may be dispensedfrom the tray;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the tray, having a plurality of cardspositioned thereon 'in staggered relationship, in position in theconveyor system;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the tray and cards positionedin the conveyor system; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, similar to Fig. 3,, showing the operationof the apparatus with the tray of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the tray 11 has a flat, substantiallyrectangular base 12. At the rear edge of the base is an upstandingflange 13. Mounting means 14 may be provided at the rear of the base tofirmly mount the tray in place in the conveyor system. The mounting icemeans 14 may be of any form. As shown in Fig. 1, the mounting meansinclude a flange which is bent rearwardly from flange 13, as indicatedat 15, and then downwardly as at 16. A threaded opening 17 is providedin portion 16 for a thumb set screw 39. A guide flange 18 is provided atone side edge of the base 12 and a take-oif lip 19 extends upwardly fromthe front edge of the tray at an obtuse angle. The tray may also beprovided with legs 20 at the forward end, but such legs may be omittedif desired.

Tray 11 is adapted to receive a plurality of display cards 21. The cardsare preferably made of a substantially stiff material such as wax coatedcardboard, and each card has two sides scored, as indicated at 22, sothat flaps 23 and 24 may be folded along the scores. The

under side of each flap 23 and 24 may be suitably printed as desired sothat when the product is packaged and the flaps folded over, the printedmaterial appearing thereon will be visible to the purchaser.

The tray 11, having a plurality of cards 21 positioned thereon, isconnected in a conveyor system. The conveyor system is mounted betweenframe members 25 and 26 and consists of a plurality of endless belts 27mounted on rollers 28 which deliver the product to be packaged to aplurality of take-01f fingers 29. A single belt may be used, if desired.The take-oil fingers are pivoted at their rear, as indicated at 30, sothat they may be raised to allow tray 11 and cards 21 to be positionedbeneath the take-off fingers. A second series of conveyor belts 31 onrollers 32 is positioned below the tray and take-oft fingers and servesto carry away the product after it has been placed on a card 21.

Mounting members 33 and 34 are secured to frame members 25 and 2s. Eachmounting member 33 and 34 has a plurality of notches 35 therein so thata mounting bar 36 may be adjustably secured thereon. Mounting bar 36 isconnected to base plate .37 which rests on the top 38 of the conveyorsystem. Tray 11 is attached to mounting bar 36 by means of thumb screws39 which are screwed into threaded openings 17 and frictionally engagemounting bar 36. Legs 2% rest on base plate 37 and the tray 11 ispositioned at a slight decline in the direction of the second set of,conveyor belts 31 to simplify removal of the cards from the tray. Astack of cards 21 is placed on the tray. Due to the decline and upturnedlip 19, the cards are readily placed and held on the tray in afanned-out or staggered relationship, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

It will be manifest that the present invention may be used with anyproduct which is packaged in display containers. For the purpose of thisdescription, however, the operation of the apparatus will be describedin conjunction with the packaging of sliced bacon.

In operation, a bacon slicer (not shown) delivers the slices of bacon 40to conveyor belts 27. When the bacon reaches take-off fingers 2Q, andoperator estimates the proper amount of bacon to be packaged and sweepsthis amount down the take-oil fingers onto the top card 2t. Continuingwith the same sweeping motion, the operator moves the bacon and top cardover takeoff lip 19 onto endless belts 31 which carry the bacon and cardto other operators who complete the packaging operation. Endless belts31 preferably travel at a more rapid rate of speed than endless belts 27to prevent jamming oi the product on take-0E fingers 29.

Take-off lip 19 is positioned at an angle so that the top card may beeasily removed from the rest of the stack. As the top card is moved (tothe left as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5) it rides up and over the take-offlip, freeing the top card from the other cards in the stack. The anglebetween the take-off lip and the tray can be any obtuse angle. However,it is preferred that the angle b 911 between .1.25 and,13.5?,.preterab1y ,1-303. .Too large an angle will increaseghe tendencyof the cards to stick to one another, and too small an angle makes itdifi clllttt slidert-he-zQardsone:byroneoverfthe lip. 'sT he tflk -Qfw1ip :fihQUId {be of =,-a :width sufiicient :to nnaintain the forwardedgespf the caiidszintalignmentandtolthis and, more than ,oneztake-offlip maysbeeprovidedif desired. The height-iof'the lip:may'varyzbutxittshould be high enough to jmaintain assu'ificient numberof cards 21 on the tray :11,-; and;;shonld notbeso-high as 'tmmakeit:i('lifiicult-toswfzepthe cards overithe liprasnhetstack of cardsbecomes :depletcld.

Guide flange 18 cooperates with take-off lip .19:toeaid instaking andaligning the1ca1tds. iR-eanfiange llimay also :helpzin doing this"and,additionally,prevents1the cardsjfmm: 'slidingroutrofthe rear'ofthetray.

All ltgh "We Ehave described a rpreterred embodiment of ,our inventionin :considerable detail, a the description, is intendedtozbeillustrative, rather thansrestrictive, andr-it iszfilanifestthatavariety of modifications :maybemade without departing from the :spirit-or'seope of :thecinvention. Accordingly, we do not intendtolbezlimited'to the exact; structure disclosed.

Weclaim:

1. A card dispensing tray-having amopen;top.-and :one open side tofacilitate access to cards positionedthereon, said 'traytconsistingessentially ofravflat'base, 3a flange-extending upwardly at rightanglesfrom the rearedgesof said base,tan upstanding guide member ononeside edge of said-base, and a take-cit lip onKthe front edge of ,saidbase, I said take-01f lip extending upwardly from said base at an angleof approximately130tso thatiapluralityaof cards positioned on said traymay be readilyrernoved one at a time. therefrom.

2. A card dispensing tray having :an-opentopanndnn open side tofacilitate: access-to cards-positionedthereon, said tray consistingessentiallyof a flat base, a;:fiange extending upwardly at rightanglesfrom the rearzedge or" said base,-an upstanding guidemembenonpnesideedge of said base, and a take-off lip on the front edgeof said base, said take-off lip extending upwardly from; said :base atan obtuseangle sothat a pluralit'y 'of cardspositione on'said tray maybe readilyremove'd-one-at atime; therefrom.

3. Ina packaging device,:afirst-conveyorbelt, a sec- 0nd .lconvevoribeltbelow said lfirsnconveyor belt, vharpinrality of take-ofi fingers, meansfor supporting said takeoff fingers with their rear ends adjacent saidfirst conveyor belt and their front ends downwardly inclined towardssaid second conveyor belt, and a card dispensing tray below the frontends of said take-oh? fingers and above said second conveyor belt, saidtray comprising a flat base and a take-01f lip on thetfrontz-edgerofsaid"=base, said takeoffllip extending upwardlyfrom said ,base,at-antobtuse ng in a packaging device, a first conveyor belt, a-.second conveyor belt below said first conveyor belt, a pinrality oftake off 'fingers, means for supporting said takeoif fingers with..their rearendssadjaeent said first conveyor belt and their front endsdownwardly inclined towards said second conveyor belt, and a carddispensing tray below the front ends of said take-off fingers and above:saidsecond :conveyor belt, said rtray comprising a fiat base anda:take.-,ofi'lip.ontheifront-edge of said base said ,takeaotf lipzextending; upwardlyrfrom said base at; an :obtuse; angle,::saidtake-ofiz lipextending'rbeyond' the extremity oft the take-off ifingerstabove said :second: conveyor belt, whereby-a product tobe: packaged isisweptoff said firsbconveyor belt ontosaid take-ofifingersiand thenceonto :a packaging card-positioned on said-earid dispensing tray, fromwhich point said; product and; card are I swept'over :said taker-offlip, onto said second :conveyor belt.

References Cited in the'file. of this Patent UNITED STATES PATENTS90,482 Barth -'May 2-5, 1869 236,212 Cartwright 12111. 4, 1881 646;726*Chelimer Apr; 3, 1900 896,432 --'Booth Aug. 18, 1908 939,182 Allen="Nov. 2, 1909 987,097 McArdle 'Mar. 14,1911 1,l 93;693 =GelfieldAug.'-8,=191 6 1,445,666 Davis, Feb. 20,1923 1,559,964 Jackson -JNov.3,1925 2,348,821 Kau'fiel'd May 16, 1944 2,391,125 Carpenter "Dec.18,1945

FOREIGN PATENTS 572,590 "Great Britain Qct. 15, .1945

